The new Riders
by Hannoie
Summary: Eragon has found the perfect place to raise the new dragons. Meanwhile, Arya is successful as the new elven queen. But will either of them ever be happy while apart from the other? Or can they find a way to be together despite all barriers? Summaries isn't really my forte... Rated T because I'm sort of paraniod ;)
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, guys, this will be a direct continuation of Christopher Paolini's book **_**Inheritance**_**, and still mainly from Eragon's POV. I think I'll also try to write from Saphira's POV, and even Aryas.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon, Saphira, Arya, Alagaësia or pretty much anyone or anything you'll recognize. I do own anything or anyone you do not recognize, though. Enjoy!**

**P.S. English is not my native language, so if I make any mistakes, don't be too hard on me, but do point them out, so I won't repeat them. Thank you! D.S.**

* * *

_Your fate will be to leave this land forever. Where you will end up I know not, but you will never again stand in Alagaësia. This is inescapable. It will come to pass even if you try to avoid it._

Angela's prophecy spun around in Eragon's head. Several weeks had passed since he left Alagaësia. Weeks since he last saw Roran, Katrina, Ismira, Nasuada… Arya. He felt so lonely. He missed all of them, even Angela, with all her wit.

_You're not lonely, little one, _Saphira said and let all her love and care flow through their bond and fill him, until he couldn't possibly feel lonely anymore.

_I know I'm not. How could I be with so much dragon around? _he asked with a teasing little smile. A sudden spin took him with surprise, and if he hadn't been tied to the saddle, he would have fallen off.

"Hey!" he shouted out loud, clinging on Saphira's back with all his elven strength. _What did you do that for?_

_I'm perfectly shaped, and just as much dragon as I should be at my age. If you like to live you shouldn't try to imply anything else. _He could tell she felt a little offended, and still he couldn't help but laugh.

_I'm sorry, Saphira. I know you're not fat, but you are big, as dragons at your age are supposed to be. Bigger yet, since I'm so small in comparison._

_Hmpf…_

_It's just… I love you, and I would be fine spending a hundred years in a cave as long as you would be there and keep me company, but… I miss all our other friends. The elves are good company, but they're not my friends in the same way. I would trust them with my life, but I don't love them, and I don't care for them the same way I love and care for the people we left in Alagaësia. _The words flew out of him, and he neither could nor wanted to keep them back. He had felt an urge to explain for a while now, and finally he had found a good moment to do it. Of course Saphira had known for a while something was wrong, but he hadn't right out told her what it was before.

_Oh, little one… So you're homesick?_

_I guess I am, _he said hesitatingly. _But I didn't think I would be. I thought I left that behind me on Vroengard. _He bowed his head, angry with himself because he couldn't keep his feelings better contained.

_No. On Vroengard you realized you didn't want to go back to Palancar Valley and Carvahall. Your name, your True name, says you care an awful lot about the people around you. Did you really expect all your attachments would disappear overnight when you left Alagaësia?_

_No… But sometimes I almost wish they would have, _he added bitterly.

_Don't you ever say so. What would you be without all you friends? You're human. Without friends you would be miserable._

_I'm without friends right now. And I am miserable. But I already knew that. _Saphira growled loudly at Eragon, and the vibration made his whole body tremble.

_Snap out of it! You are _not_ without friends; your friends are just far away right now. You can still contact all of them with magic mirrors. Or aren't you the world's most powerful magician?_

_Magician is the wrong term; I'm a dragon rider._

_Does it matter? _She asked in a rather harsh voice.

_No… Okay, I know you're right, but still, I really miss them._

_I know you do, and that's alright. You should miss them, but you can't let it take over your life. We have a mission here._

_We have, haven't we? _He gave her a faint smile, and even if she couldn't see it, he knew she could feel it through their bond.

* * *

The reason they were out flying, was because the elves had spotted a formation they thought perhaps could be a good place to raise the baby dragons and educate the young riders. Eragon and Saphira's job was to inspect the place and then come back and tell if it was a suitable place for the dragon riders' new city.

The place they now circled over was a natural fort. He, Saphira and the elves followed a river which in turn followed a mountain range. Here, the mountains in the range protected a huge and almost completely flat valley. Of course, the words 'flat' and 'valley' contradicted, but that was really the only way to describe it. The mountains towered over the valley, and they stood so tightly there seemed to be no possible exit, except from the one in the air. When the mountains had flattened out, the ground stayed almost completely flat, which was very good if you planned to build a city there. This valley was the only place in a good number of miles where it wasn't completely crowded with mountains.

The best thing with this valley wasn't how flat it was, though. It wasn't the patches with woods, or the river, or the flock of deers. The best thing with this valley was how huge it was. Neither Eragon nor Saphira could imagine how all this could be hidden behind mountains, or why this big, flat space seemed to be free even from the smallest of outcrops. It was a strange formation indeed.

No exchange of words was needed, and as soon as they had had an overview of the valley, they began circling downward. They landed about 20 yards from the deers, and of course, Saphira's presence scattered the flock.

_Stupid mammals, _Saphira muttered. _Can't they tell I'm not hunting?_

_They aren't as intelligent as you are, Saphira, _Eragon answered with a wry smile. Saphira answered with nothing but a deep feeling of sarcasm, as a 'Really, you don't say?' without any words. Eragon shook his head, unwillingly amused. He was so happy he had her. How much he ever missed the others, it was bearable when he had Saphira there, with him.

Saphira bowed her neck and drank two deep gulps of water. She straightened up again, seemed to think for a moment, and then nodded once.

_The water is fine. Eragon? _She asked with an excited look in her eyes.

_Yes? _He answered, even though they didn't really have to put words on it.

_We've found the right place to build a city and raise the dragons._

_Indeed, we have._

They looked out over the valley, the green, lush, beautiful valley, and for one moment, just a second, Eragon forgot about all the people and all the places he had left behind, and felt utter happiness. They had found their new home.

* * *

**I really hope you liked it! This is only my second fanfic, so don't be too hard on me, okay? Though of course I want constructive criticism, both on my grammar and on the story.**

**I guess my point is that I would really appreciate some reviews, so if you have the time, please tell me what you think. Everything but pure viciousness is appreciated!**

**Hope you look forward for the next chapter. I should probably tell you though; I will have little spare time during the weekdays, so I'll probably post one or two chapters every weekend.**

**Till next time!**

**Hannoie**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here comes chapter 2! This time Arya's POV, since she's a dragon rider and she should be told about the place… Yeah.**

**Disclaimer: Honestly, really unnecessary. The only one who wouldn't need one of these is Christopher Paolini himself, and if he wrote something else about Eragon and the rest, you can be sure he would publish it somewhere else and make some money from it, instead of posting it on **_**Fan**_** . So… I kinda don't see the point ^_^'**

**Well, whatever. Read and review, guys!**

* * *

It had been eight months since her mother died.

Six months since she had become the elven queen.

Two months since she had left Eragon on a ship, with only Saphira, and the elves who had chosen to follow him, as company.

Two days since she finished her last scheduled appointment.

No more war hero funerals. No more trade disputes with the dwarfs. No more upcoming events or visits. No more decisions to make. There was nothing that insisted on her attention at all.

She should have enjoyed her free time. She should have enjoyed her possibility to have long, deep conversations with Fírnen, to walk in the gardens and in the forest, to visit Rhunön… To do all those things she used to enjoy before.

She should enjoy it, but she didn't. Something was missing. Someone was missing.

Eragon was missing.

For the first time since he had left, she let herself think that thought. She missed him, more than she could have imagined she would. It was different when he was so far away. She no longer had any control whether they would see each other or not.

Her mind drifted away, to the Hadarac Desert. Somewhere is the heat of the desert two couriers should meet each other, about now. They both carried a dragon egg; one of them purple, the other one white as snow.

The white one came from the Spine and was heading against the Beors. The purple one had left the dwarfs and was going to the urgals. None of them had hatched at their first destination, but it didn't matter. The white one would probably hatch for a dwarf, and the purple for an urgal. And if they didn't, there were plenty of elves and humans who would love to try. There was nothing to worry about, nothing at all. And even though she hadn't heard as much as a word from Eragon since he left, she knew he could manage himself. She took a deep breath to calm down, and shook her head absent-mindedly. She had to clear her head from all distracting and disturbing thoughts.

Suddenly she heard Fírnen's deep voice in her mind.

_What is it that occupies you mind in such a way, you feel a need to clear it from all thoughts?_ His question was simple, his tone matter-of-factly. She was glad he spoke that way right now – even the slightest touch of emotions, and she would do what she had never done before. She would break down completely.

_Eragon, _she answered with a rather harsh voice, to keep her feelings contained. She couldn't break down. She wouldn't. She had always been stronger than that, and she would still be. She had to maintain her self-control.

_I can already see your inside, little one, _he said._ Why do you feel an urge to keep up your outside when we're lonely? _His words wouldn't have affected her, if they had been spoken the same way his first question had been spoken. But they weren't. These words were warm, and accompanied with a flow of love. These words affected her deeply.

She only had time to curse her dragon once, before she did what she had promised herself not to do. She broke down. She cried. She cried because of her mother's death, because she had Fírnen, because she was the queen, because there was nothing left for her to do, because there no longer was a war in Alagaësia, because she was in Ellesméra, and mostly because Eragon had left. It was tears of sadness and grief mixed with tears of happiness and joy, and her feelings were just as mixed up.

* * *

Her outburst lasted for only a few minutes, because no matter how relived she felt afterwards, she was the one she was, and a mental barrier stopped her from showing more feelings on the surface than she had already done.

A sudden movement in the corner of her eye made her turn around without even a chance to wipe off her tears, or fix her hair even the slightest. The movement she had seen was the magic mirror she had put up on the wall, so Eragon easily could contact her. This was the first time he did, so it must have happened something.

"_Good, you're there. I wasn't sure whether or not I would be able to contact you while you were in Elseméra, or in Du Weldenvarden at all, but apparently it works fine. When did you remove the barriers…" _he stopped himself when he saw her read eyes, messy hair and tearful cheeks, and inhaled sharply. _"Arya? What happened? How is Orik? Nasuada? Roran? Arya, talk to me! What happened?" _His eyes were so worried she just couldn't stay silent, as she would have preferred to do.

"Nothing. Nothing happened. Nobody is hurt or dead, in fact, everything has finally settled down." She turned her head away, refused to tell him why she really cried.

"_Arya, please. You didn't cry for nothing, you never do. Please tell me why you were crying. There must be a reason."_

"None that has to do with you", she snapped. He looked calmly into her eyes.

"_Repeat that in the Ancient Language." _She opened her mouth do to so, but of course she couldn't. It had to do with him in every possible way, and lying in the Ancient Language was an impossibility. Instead she changed the subject.

"Why did you contact me, Eragon?"

"_You miss me just as much as I miss you, don't you?" _he said with wonder.

"I said: why did you contact me, Eragon?" Arya repeated with a voice as hard as stone. Eragon smiled a smile completely free from happiness, before he answered.

"_I've found the place. It's perfect, as if it was created just for the new Dragon city." _Even if his voice was emotionless, the words it carried were soothing. After so many months of constant tension, she finally felt relaxed. They had found a place. Now she was eager to know what kind of place she would send the young dragons and riders to.

"What does it look like, and how far from here is it?" She kept her voice indifferent, trying not to show any emotions. Eragon sighed, seemingly tired, and looked like he was calculating the distance.

"_I can't say for sure how many miles it is, but on the back of Fírnen you should easily be here in less than a fortnight."_ His words didn't make sense. Even though she had been determined to not show any emotions whatsoever, she couldn't help but gasp. He couldn't mean she was supposed to..?

"What do you mean? I hope you don't assume I will come all the way to the new place just to accept your choice?" She raised one eyebrow just to emphasize what a ridiculous idea it was.

"_If it would be easier for you, I suppose we could meet halfway, and I could show you my memories of the place. I believe it is better if you come to the place and see it with you own eyes, though. I also think Fírnen could have one or another useful opinion about the place."_

"Why do you find this necessary? I'm sure you've made an excellent choice of place."

"_Arya", _he said in a tired tone, _"you're one of the greatest dragon riders of our time. You're one of the only dragon riders of our time. And even if you weren't, you're still the elven queen. You have every reason to come here and evaluate our choice, and no reason not to." _She thought about his words for a moment, before she asked Fírnen, who had been unusually silent during her and Eragon's conversation.

_What do you think? _She asked him. In one way she didn't feel like she had the time to travel to somewhere far off, but on the other hand, she should see the place, and she also longed out of the forest.

_We should go. The forest is peaceful now, so you can be away for a couple of months. The council should be able to handle whatever may happen while we are gone. _His words were logical; they made an impression on Arya.

_I agree. We should go and see this place._

_And see Saphira and Eragon._

_Yes, of course. _She tightened up her face, and nodded to herself.

"Very well, then. We shall come and make a visit to evaluate the place you have chosen."

"_Good." _Eragon nodded, too, and without any further conversation, he ended the spell and turned her mirror into something that just reflected red eyes, wet cheeks and messy hair.

* * *

**Well, that's chapter two then! Hope you liked it, personally I like this a little bit more than the first one. Writing from Arya's POV is really interesting, and to try to put words on the mind of an elf is a hard task.**

**Now, remember you're all supposed to review, or I don't know what I do right or wrong ;) If you like the story, remember to favorite and follow, so more people can find it and enjoy it!**

**That's it I guess. I'll probably publish the next chapter next Saturday, but if I find any spare time the upcoming days, of course I'll use it to write on this fanfic :)**

**Till next time!**

**Hannoie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Third chapter! Won't really happen much in this chapter, some showin' and buildin' and stuff ;) Arya will probably arrive in the end of the chapter, so… This chapter will cover a couple of weeks, I guess. Woah, talk about overused word!**

**Not even gonna bother to put a disclaimer here.**

**Remember, English is not my native language, so if there's anything I do wrong, please tell me, so I can avoid to do it again.**

* * *

When Eragon ended the spell, and the bowl of water was nothing but water again, he felt completely drained on emotions.

He had been so excited to show her, to tell her, to get her here. So eager to show her, he hadn't even gone back to the elves before he contacted her. So eager, the water had still been unsettled when he spoke the spell. That was why he hadn't seen her tears at first.

She had cried for him. Arya, who was always so controlled, so reserved. He had seen her tears only once before, when she talked to him about when Durza captured her, and killed Fäolin and Glenwing. He could still hear her words so clearly; _For over twenty years we travelled together, the only immortals to walk among the short-lived races. We were companions, and friends. And then, in a single instant, Durza tore that away from me. When it happened, I thought: now I must surely die as well. For whatever dangers we had encountered before, Fäolin and I had always survived them together, and if he could not escape, then why should I?_

That time, she had cried for someone else, for the loss of a loved companion. This time, she had cried for him, and he wasn't even dead, he was just far away from her.

He tried to push away a thought that was forming in his mind, but it didn't want to leave before it had been expressed; What if this meant she cared more for him than she used to care for Fäolin?

But her behaviour had been so cold, so distant. She had acted like she didn't want to come see him even the slightest. If it hadn't been for the red eyes and wet cheeks, he could have thought she no longer cared.

_Little one, stop it. _Saphiras voice was soft in his head. _She was distant only because you caught her crying over you, and she is ashamed. I believe she wishes for you to forget about your feelings for her, so you can fully devote yourself to the raising and training of the new dragons and riders, without the burden of your feelings for her on your shoulders. I believe she is afraid she has now disturbed you in your assignment._

He laughed softly, a bitter sound.

_Then it's the same reasons it has always been. I have duties, and she doesn't want to interfere. _Tears welled up in his eyes, but he forced him back. Maybe she cried for him, but he would _not_ cry for her. He had to stay strong, and right now, he had to go back to the boat and tell the elves the news, so they could begin the work with transporting all their belongings, the eldunarís and the eggs to the valley. With a sigh, Eragon swung himself up on Saphira's back, and, much to the relief of the deers, they flew away.

* * *

If they would have been humans, or even dwarves, they would have cheered. The boat would have been filled with the happy sound of victory.

But they weren't humans, and they were definitely not dwarves. They didn't cheer. They didn't laugh. They only bowed their heads slightly, smiling. In the Ancient Language, Blödhgarm told Eragon how happy he was they had found a good place to raise the dragons, but if he didn't mind, he and two of the other elves would like to see the place before they made their decision. It was formulated in the politest of ways, but Eragon still couldn't help to take it as a blow against his judgement. Of course, he didn't show this feeling on the outside. He nodded.

"Of course. Which two will follow you?" Two elves stepped forward. Flaeri, a blonde, female elf with ears even more pointed than the other elves' ears, and Tveyra, also she a female, but with hair dark as night itself. Her hair was even darker, longer and thicker than Arya's. It was rather beautiful.

Tveyra looked happier than the rest of them, and her smile showed all her teeth. Eragon must admit it was a pretty smile. Tveyra was pretty.

Not as pretty as Arya, though. No matter what, Arya held his heart, and no other elf would ever be able to take her place. But what if Arya never would abdicate? Or, worse, what if she mated with someone else? If she met someone in Ellesméra, and fell in love with him? What if… Suddenly Glaedr's voice pierced through Eragon's head.

_Eragon, clear your mind! This won't do. You can't fulfil your mission if you can't get that elf out of your head. _Glaedr's stern command made Eragon angry, but in the same time, he knew Glaedr was right. The thought of Arya did distract him from what he was supposed to do.

_You're right, ebrithil. I'm sorry for losing my mind like that._

_Stay focused, _was Glaedr's advice. The next second, Saphira threw herself up in the air, and Eragon wished Glaedr had come with that advice just a second earlier. Now, Eragon wasn't prepared, and even though his legs were tied to Saphiras body, his torso was pushed back, and pressed into Tveyra's chest. She gave him a strange look.

"Is everything alright… Shadeslayer?" she asked, obviously unsure about what name or title that was appropriate. Eragon was too casual, same as vor. Finiarel indicated that she rated herself over him, which she could not, because he was a dragon rider. Vodhr wasn't honouring enough. Ebrithil was too formal, and, since she was about 250 years old, he was hardly wise enough to be called her master.

"Thank you, everything is alright. Saphira just took me with surprise." He straightened up, and gave Tveyra an apologetic look.

_Couldn't you have warned me before you just threw yourself up in the air and embarrassed me in front of the elves? _He asked, with an edge to his voice.

_You should have been focused, and prepared. We have been dragon and rider for quite some time now._

_Yes, and one thought you would have learned to tell me when you are about to lift by now, _Eragon grunted.

_One thought you would be skilled enough to follow my movements by now, _was Saphira's response. Clearly, she was irritated, and Eragon regretted he had snubbed to her like that.

_I'm sorry. Everything is just… Overwhelming right now. Sometimes I don't know how to handle everything, and the new dragons and riders aren't even here yet. _He let all his hopelessness flow through their bond, to share it. She willingly took part of and carried some of these heavy feelings, and he immediately felt better. Everything was easier when they were two. Absent-mindedly he hugged her neck, and his mind wandered off to a place ahead of them, a place that would be filled with dragons, riders and happiness in a near-by future.

* * *

Tveyra was dancing around, laughing, her face like a personification of happiness, and even Flaeri and Blödhgarm seemed to be of unusually high spirits. They were all taking deep breaths, and Eragon felt their minds' brief touch, as they swept out to absorb the feeling of the surroundings. Eragon, too, let down his barriers and stretched his mind outwards. He quickly found the elves, the animals, and even the plants, but that wasn't all. The air itself seemed to glow with magic and happiness, as if that was what the valley was composed of. Eragon couldn't help but smile himself.

"I do not believe this valley has been formed in natural ways, but been created with powerful, good magic. This is a place of happiness, and a good place to raise the dragons. I accept your choice." Blödhgarm bowed his head, and Eragon answered him in the same way. He was glad the elf had accepted his choice, but he did wonder about that magic. What was it, and where did it come from?

It did, however, not matter at the moment, as Flaeri approached him. She sank into a quick, but graceful curtsy, and told him how much she liked his choice of place, before she went back to explore the gigantic area with both her mind and body.

Suddenly, Eragon felt a warm, smooth hand take his own, and he turned around only to meet Tveyra's sparkling blue eyes and big smile. Flaeri and Blödhgarm gasped because of her impudence.

"Eragon, it's fantastic! It's all I could ever dream of in a place to raise the dragons. You and Saphira have made an excellent choice, and… And…" Suddenly she jerked her hand out of his, and backed away. Her smile disappeared, and left was only an awkward stiffness in her face.

"You must excuse me, Shadeslayer. I'm not used to be in such a happy place, and I didn't think straight. It won't happen again." Her cheeks seemed to be unusually pink, and Eragon cleared his throat.

"It's alright. I believe this place does strange things to all of us. Anyhow, I'm happy you approve with my and Saphiras choice."

"Indeed I do", she said, still in a very formal way, for being her. Eragon had come to think of her as the most light-hearted of all the elves, and since it was a trait you rarely saw in their species, it made her a little bit more unique than the rest.

"Now, then, can we all agree to go get the other elves, together with the eggs and Eldunarí?" Eragon asked, and the elves agreed.

* * *

Two weeks later, Eragon was amazed by how much they had done. If it hadn't been for the magic and power they possessed, they wouldn't have had nearly as much work done, but now he sat there, in the middle of his new house. It reminded him a lot of the ruined houses on Vroengard, with the big spaces and elf-inspired style, but in other ways his house was completely different. The windows was covered with glass, the walls with tapestries, and the floors with thick, warm rugs. The house was well lit, and in front of the fire, he and Saphira sat together in the big that was her bed. It was nicer, cosier than any of the houses he had seen on Vroengard, even as they had appeared in Glaedr's memory.

His house wasn't the only house finished. The elves all had their own houses, but they had chosen more modest tree houses in the closest patch of wood. Without dragons, they didn't need that much space, or fire-proof house material.

They had also built homes for the first students, a library, and a kitchen. Now, all they seemed to do was wait for Arya to come and accept Du Dael abr Ilian, The Valley of Happiness.

_Du Dael abr Ilian. It is a good name, is it not? _He asked Saphira as he stared into the flames.

_It is indeed fitting. This place makes me… Happy. Here, I can deal with the loss of Fírnen's company, better than I could when we travelled down the river._

_I know what you mean. The happiness here alleviates the loss of Arya, too._

_It will be nice to meet them again, _Saphira said andwrapped her tail around him. When she brought out her left wing, he recognized the tent he had slept under so many times, and decided Saphira's bed and presence was better than the loneliness of his own.

_Yes, it will._

_Good night, little one. Sleep well._

_Don't you know I don't sleep anymore?_ Eragon asked drowsily.

_Rest, then. _Saphira's voice was a whisper as he floated into dreams of glass, clear and beautiful like sprites, or maybe elves, dancing in the forest.

* * *

The next morning, he woke from his rest when he felt a familiar mind contact him.

_Eragon, we're here. Will you come and greet us? _the voice asked him.

_Of course, Arya Dröttning, _he said and rose from Saphira's bed, at the same time as she woke up, surely contacted by Fírnen.

_Good morning, little one. Ready for an interesting day? _She asked with a friendly puff.

_As ready as I will ever be, _he answered, and when he had bathed and removed his stubble with magic, he went out of the house to greet the elven queen and her dragon.

* * *

**Okay, guys, now I really need your help! As you can tell, I've sort of arranged for a romance between Eragon and Tveyra, but I really can't tell if they should go for it, or if he should stick to Arya. So, here I'll present to you two different scenarios; one where he ends up with Tveyra and one where he ends up with Arya. You tell me in your comments which one you'd prefer. I can't promise I'll do what most people think, but at least that would give me a clue about what you guys want.**

**Scenario 1: Eragon realizes Arya will never abandon the elves in Du Weldenvarden, and slowly gives up the thought of her. He's sort of miserable for some time, before he realizes Tveyra is everything he ever wanted, and more. She's like Arya; only happier, which makes a big difference. They end up happy, and Arya, who never really let herself fall in love with Eragon, gets over him pretty quick, and moves on with her life.**

**Scenario 2: Eragon likes Tveyra more and more, but in the end, he decides that his heart will always, exclusively belong to Arya. He is miserable for a few hundred years before she **_**finally **_**abdicates and move to Du Dael abr Ilian, where she sort of marries/mates with Eragon, and they live happily ever after. Tveyra remains single and sad.**

**So. Please, review, and tell me what you think of my story, my grammar, these scenarios, everything between earth, heaven and Alagaësia ;)**

**Till next time!**

**Hannoie**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay. Now I've asked you what you would prefer, and most people definitely wants me to go for Eragon and Arya, rather than Eragon and Tveyra.**

**I totally see why.**

**But… I think I'll go for Eragon and Tveyra anyways.**

**Before you kill me or anything ^_^' remember that Paolini himself said that he wasn't finished with Eragon and Arya, so probably he will get them together in the future. Then I can do something different.**

**Also, I believe that if Eragon and Arya would end up together, both would eventually get depressed, because both of them are sort of saturnine to their personalities and stuff. Eragon needs someone to cheer him up. Tveyra isn't immature, she's just the happy kind of person, and I like that. He needs a little happiness coming from the inside, not just from the outside. If that makes any sense.**

***stupid, unnecessary disclaimer that just tells you what you already know, i.e. I'm not Christopher Paolini pretending I'm a girl***

**And thanks to everybody who reads, follows, favourites, and most of all: reviews. I'm literally squeezing with joy every time I receive an e-mail telling me I've had a new review on this story. It makes my day, so thank you!**

* * *

Eragon and the elves were standing outside of the valley, next to the river they had followed for so many weeks.

The Elven Queen stepped down from The Emerald Dragon with an elegance that didn't reveal that she was newer as a Dragon Rider than Eragon.

Arya stepped down from Fírnen, and she was beautiful beyond all dreams.

Islanzadí's swan feather cape fell into deep folds down Arya's shoulders and back, and it looked almost as heavy as Islanzadí's presence was.

Islanzadí was present in that cape, and she was even more so in Arya's face.

He could barely tell the difference between mother and daughter, and that scared him.

The Queen approached him now, and he bowed his head in respect. All the elves were watching, alongside with Saphira and Fírnen. They seemed to be more interested in each other, though.

_Go, reunite. I believe you're reunion will be nicer than my and Arya's will be._

_I'll be back soon. If Fírnen has anything of relevance to tell me, you will be the first to know._

_Thank you, Saphira, _Eragon thought as Arya curtsied in that special way, at the same time as she turned her hand in the formal greeting.

_Little one. _The same moment, Saphira and Fírnen threw themselves up in the air, while roaring happily. Even though Arya and Eragon was in the middle of a formal greeting, they couldn't help but smile.

Eragon touched his lips with two fingers.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Arya Dröttning", he said with an unemotional voice.

"Atra du evarínya ono varda, Eragon Shadeslayer", she answered with the exact same tone as his.

"Mor'ranr lífa una hjarta onr", he finished, and backed away to let the other elves greet her. When they were all finished, she turned to him again.

"Eragon, are you ready to show me the place you have chosen to raise the dragons and educate the riders?" She was still strictly formal, nothing in her face or voice revealed any feelings whatsoever. He nodded.

"Yes, of course. And the name we have chosen for the valley is Du Dael abr Ilian." A spark of curiosity was seen in her eyes, but it was soon gone, and when she spoke again, it was only with polite interest.

"The Valley of Happiness? May I ask you how you came up with that name?" Her words were harsher than her voice – she didn't dislike the choice, but neither did she show any specific approval to it.

"You may, but I'd prefer to show you rather than tell you." His words produced another spark of curiosity, and this one didn't seem to die quite as fast as the first.

"Very well, we will do this as you wish to do it." Her eyes got a little unfocused, and Eragon could tell she was communicating with Fírnen. He also reached outwards, searching for Saphira's mind. He found it fast enough, and told her to come, so they could show Arya and Fírnen the valley.

_We'll be there soon, _Saphira confirmed.

_Did Fírnen tell you anything of interest? _Eragon asked with eagerness. Arya had been to no help; her feelings were obviously locked down somewhere far inboard… Or absent. But she had cried for him. She had.

_I think she misses you greatly, but doesn't want you to get your hopes up. She will continue to act like she acts now, in order to make your feelings for her fade away. _Saphira's voice was full of compassion, because she knew how solid Eragon thought his feelings for Arya were.

_It doesn't matter. I will always love her, no matter what. _Eragon had made his decision. Arya was the only one for him, and if he had to wait a thousand years, he would.

Now, Saphira and Fírnen landed in front of the little group of 30 elves and one hybrid. Saphira gazed down at her rider with a sad look, and spoke the words that would eat Eragon from the inside outwards the next few weeks.

_What does it matter if you love her or not? In the end, älfakyn is what matters most to Arya. She will never love you as much as she loves her people, and if you so wait lonely and miserable for a thousand years, her people will still be the most important thing to her, and as long as they want her as their queen, she will not abdicate for something as trivial as heart's desire._

* * *

When Saphira and Fírnen landed on the ground in the valley, Eragon and Arya stepped down from their backs. Eragon held his eyes on Arya, to see how she reacted to the pure happiness in the valley.

Her strict facial expression slowly softened as the valley affected her. After a couple of minutes, she turned to Eragon, with a smile on her lips. Islanzadí's presence in her face wasn't quite as distinct as before.

"Yes", she said with a soft voice. "Yes, Du Dael abr Ilian is a good name for this place. For the first time since you left I am happy." A moment later, when she realised what she had just said, her eyes widened and she pursed her lips as she turned her face away from him. But it was too late; the words were already spoken. With two steps, Eragon stood in front of her. Her face was still turned away, her cheeks pink.

"Arya", he said. When she didn't respond, didn't react whatsoever, he grabbed her chin and turned her head so that her eyes met his. It was the eyes of a hunted deer that realized it had made a noise revealing its position, at the same time as it was they eyes of a mountain lion, ready to throw herself forward and kill the pray. Her eyes scared him, at the same time as they enchanted him. The green colour in her eyes was more beautiful than that on the scales of Fírnen.

"Eragon…" she began to say, but he didn't let her. Because deep down in those eyes, he had seen a wish. A wish he gladly would meet.

Their lips met, and the world faded away. Saphira or Fírnen didn't exist. The elves, right now struggling to make it through the problematic, but only, entrance on ground level, didn't exist. The valley itself didn't exist. Left was he, Arya and the all-embracing happiness.

First, she resisted. For a moment or two, her lips did not respond and her body stiffened.

Then, with something that almost sounded like a sob, she gave in, and kissed him back, with an ardour that surprised Eragon. He welcomed the change, and willingly deepened the kiss. They pressed their bodies closer to each other, furious and happy and exhausted and wild and uncontrolled. Mostly uncontrolled.

Saphira tried to reach him. He waved her away, she wasn't important, not at all. Arya was the only one who mattered. Saphira tried to force a picture of Tveyra upon him. Tveyra? Why? It didn't matter. She wasn't important, no, Arya was the only one, and they were kissing. His lips were finally meeting hers, and it was the most beautiful thing you could imagine. He was utterly happy…

A loud gasp was heard from the entrance. It was like electrocution; both Eragon and Arya jumped away from each other, and turned around.

Tveyra stood there, alone, with a weird facial expression. She looked… Almost hurt. As if the scene had made her sad. Then again, Eragon had just kissed the elven queen. It was a huge false step, and if he lost some respect because of this, it was understandable.

He looked at Arya. Her eyes were confused, but their expression was slowly turning to understanding and fury. When she opened her mouth, she spoke with an angriness she had only spoken to him a few times earlier. That time during Agaetí Blödhren, when he had told her how beautiful she was, for example.

"Don't you ever try to do that to me again. I have just humiliated myself in front of an elf, and I kissed _you._ Eragon, you must stay focused! This won't work, not if you can't see the difference between friendship and romance."

"I saw something more than friendship in your eyes, and that is why I kissed you. That is also why you kissed me back." His words were not any you could argue with, and Arya knew that. The only thing she could do, was try to explain.

"This place does strange things to you mind and to your heart, you know that. And you took advantage of it." Suddenly she turned around, and met Tveyra face to face.

"Tveyra, come here!" she called. Tveyra hurried to join them, with a superhuman speed. She was elegant and beautiful, yet Eragon had never seen an elf look so lost and helpless.

"Tveyra", Arya began, "you saw Eragon kiss me, did you not?"

"Yes, my queen", Tveyra said, proud and submissive at the same time.

"Where are the other elves? Why are you here alone?"

"I…" Tveyra hesitated. "I wanted to see your reaction to the buildings we've built. The other elves thought I was a bit ridiculous and kept a slower pace, but I was really curious to how you would like it. The others should be here soon, though."

"I see. May I ask you not to tell the other elves what you saw today? I do not want to order you as your queen, but I will if I must." Arya was noble and queenly, even though her hair was a bit messy and her lips were swollen.

"Of course", Tveyra promised without even a second of consideration. "I won't tell anybody." Again, she looked sad, and Eragon wondered what it was about. Shock, anger, all those kinds of feelings were understandable, but sadness? Why?

"Now, Eragon Shadeslayer and Tveyra, Ebrithil abr Sverdar, will you show me the city?" Again, Arya was formal, and Eragon's heart ached. One kiss, barely more than a dream, was all he had gotten. Now, he had perhaps ruined their friendship. For nothing but a minute of lips touching lips. How could he have been so stupid?

Arya strode off towards the collection of buildings, accompanied by Fírnen and Saphira. Eragon followed her, and found himself walking next to Tveyra.

"Ebrithil abr Sverdar?" he asked, because her title really had made him curious.

"Yes…" she answered with a sad smile. "I'm the most skilled sword master of all the elves, and therefore the most skilled sword master in Alagaësia. Of course, now I'm just the most skilled sword master in Du Dael abr Ilian." Her answer surprised him, but perhaps it shouldn't have. Ebrithil abr Sverdar was a rather obvious title, almost as obvious as Shadeslayer.

"I see. It would be very interesting to spar with you some time." He meant his words, and this time her smile seemed to be a little happier.

"I would love to spar with you, but I must warn you; you will lose."

"I will prepare mentally for a loss, then. I've heard that's the best way to prepare yourself if you want to win a battle." He was of course joking, and she did indeed laugh. An angry, impatient look from Arya made them both speed up their steps, and without further jokes they began to show her around the city.

* * *

When they had shown her the library, the kitchen, the building where they stored the eggs and eldunarí – it was almost always an elf there keeping the eldunarí company – and the student residences, they finished with Eragon's house. The other elves had joined them by now.

He had shown Arya a couple of rooms, when he felt a sensation in his mind. He immediately recognized it, and rushed towards his study. Arya, the rest of the elves and the dragons followed him, without any questions. They knew him well enough to know that he would not rush away like that if not anything terrible had happened.

There was no door to his study, if it had been, Saphira would not have been able to follow him in there. It was just a huge archway, but it didn't matter right now. The only thing that mattered was the mirror hanging above his desk.

The sensation he had felt meant that Nasuada had contacted him, and that it was an emergency.

He rushed to the mirror, and Nasuada was there, in her own study. But nothing looked the way it should look. It looked like something in her study was on fire, her desk was overturned, and her chair, every rug, every painting and every Gobelin was gone. Nasuada herself had a bleeding wound in her forehead, and her dress was burned and dirty. Her hair had been up, but now most of it had escaped the coiffure and hung in dirty wisps. Behind her dark skin she seemed to be a little sallow.

"Oh… Eragon… Good. They're… Rebellion… Help." He only heard disconnected words because of the sound of the fire and screams in the background.

"Nasuada? What happened? What's going on? Why are you bleeding?" He shouted the words, partly because he wanted to make sure she heard him, partly because he was so worried.

"Rebellion… Nothing… Magic…" Suddenly he could hear her perfectly. "You must come and help us, Eragon, now!" The next moment her mirror fell from the wall, and Nasuada's horrified scream was the last thing they heard before the connection was broken.

* * *

**Okay, so what do you think? Something is definitely going on in Alagaësia, but what? And will Eragon be able to help, since he is destined to never again enter Alagaësia?**

**Remember to review, cause I guess you want to scream at me a little for not telling you more :3**

**Anyways, hope you liked this chapter :) You're still free to tell me if you prefer Scenario 1 or Scenario 2, it's not set in stone quite yet!**

**Till next time!**

**Hannoie**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi!**

**To begin with, there has been some comments saying it's totally OC and completely unrealistic to make Eragon fall out of love with Arya and in love with someone else.**

**Let's make a comparison. When Eragon was younger and Saphira was just a few months old, they left Carvahall. Eragon was sure they'd return when he'd had his revenge on the Ra'zacs, but in the end, he never actually went back. Why? He didn't want to, neither could he. In that case, he realized that he didn't want to, before he understood that he couldn't anyways, while in Arya's case it's the opposite – he understood he couldn't the second he understood Arya was the queen, but he must yet change enough to not want her anymore.**

**That's sort of my point; people change. It was when Eragon realized he'd changed since he left Carvahall, he also understood himself and found his true name. I believe when things change on the outside, things change on the inside, too.**

**If Eragon could have stayed in Alagaësia, perhaps he never would have gotten over Arya – because she wouldn't have been out of reach for him. But when she is totally and irrevocably out of reach for him, it would just be stubborn not to get over her after a few years.**

**The first, true love is indeed strong, but it isn't something time and distance can't finally break, especially when it's not from both directions. I mean, let's face it, Arya never felt so strongly for Eragon as Eragon felt for Arya, and I believe she's the sort of person who could get over him by pure willpower, if she thought that is what would be best for her, Fírnen and her people.**

***disclaimer***

**Enjoy the chapter, it's longer than I first thought it would be.**

* * *

The sound of Saphira's and Fírnen's wings was the only thing heard. The ground beneath them was flat and provided no distraction.

The sound of Saphira's and Firnen's wings was the only thing heard on the outside. On the inside, Nasuada's scream of fear echoed over and over again. It rang in his ears, as if it had been only a few seconds since he heard it, not four days.

He knew they'd soon be in Alagaësia, and he felt a distant nervousness.

His destiny was to never again enter Alagaësia. How was it then possible for him to do it now? It didn't matter, however. The only thing that mattered was Nasuada's scream of fear.

Why did she scream? It was obviously some sort of rebellion going on, but why now?

Both he and Arya was gone, was the answer his mind immediately provided him with. It was the perfect moment to attack.

Who, then? Who would do something like that, and also be strong enough to get past Nasuada's army, her personal guard, the walls of the castle… It had to be a large group of people, or at least a strong group.

And she had looked so weird in that mirror. She had been shallow, with hollow cheeks. Like she was sick, or… Cursed. Cursed! Of course!

Now Eragon cursed out loud, and immediately he felt Arya's, Tveyra's, Fírnen's and Blödhgarm's minds contact him, all of them at once. He was already connected with Saphira, even though they hadn't really exchanged any thoughts the last couple of days.

_Eragon, why did you curse? _Fírnen's deep voice asked him.

_I just realized… It's the magicians. They are responsible for this rebellion. Who else? Who else would manage to overpower her army, her guards, everything! Of course… I should have seen this coming. How could I be so stupid? One of Alagaësia's most powerful groups of people, they don't want to be ordered around, like obedient lapdogs! _His words generated a wave of understanding and uncontrolled anger, and he shielded his mind a little. The elves anger was not anything you wanted to be in contact with. Arya was the most furious one, but her anger seemed to be directed against herself more than anything else.

_I knew it! _she said, mostly to herself. Of course everyone wondered what she meant.

_Arya Dröttning, did you know there would be a rebellion powered by the magicians while you were gone from Alagaësia? _Blödhgarm asked in a strange voice. When Arya realized how her words had sounded, she quickly shook her head.

_No, of course not. Then I would never have left. But I knew Nasuada was calling all the human magicians to Ilirea to discuss how to limit their powers… I should have understood they would not do as she wished._

_Was she going to force the magicians into that group of hers? Did she not understand it would lead to a rebellion if she did such a thing? _Eragon asked with anger. Nasuada was usually more intelligent than that. Again, Arya shook her head.

_No, of course not. She just wanted to talk, to reach an agreement. But one malicious rumour…_

They went back to silence, partly revealed they had figured out who was behind this rebellion, partly uncomfortable because Nasuada's idea about the group where magicians watched over magicians obviously was more necessary than anybody would have believed.

* * *

Eragon and Blödhgarm sat on Saphira's back, while Arya and Tveyra sat on Fírnen's back.

When Nasuada's mirror had shattered on the castle floor, it had been obvious something had to be done fast. The only way to get to Alagaësia fast enough was on a dragon's back, and the only dragons available had been Saphira and Fírnen.

Eragon and Arya was obvious, and so was Blödhgarm, considering he was one of the strongest magicians in Alagaësia. Eragon could overpower him with the help of Saphira, for sure, but by himself? He doubted it.

The question had been who the fourth person should be. Both dragons could effectively carry one elf together with their rider, and it would be a waste not to bring as many as possible.

Quickly, they had chosen Tveyra. Not for her magical skills – she was definitely a formidable magician, but not as strong as the group of elves who assisted Eragon in the war against Galbatorix – but for her sword skills. Her title was Ebrithil abr Sverdar, after all. And as she said, they could not be sure what kind of fight they were supposed to fight in Alagaësia, and therefore it made sense to bring someone with other skills than magic, just in case.

Now, of course, they knew what kind of fight they would have to fight. How many magicians would there be to fight them?

Luckily, they had brought most of the eldunarí, in an air pocket identical to the one Eragon and Saphira had taken them away from Vroengard in. The eldunarí had agreed to provide Saphira, Fírnen, Eragon and the elves with energy while they flew, so they wouldn't have to land, sleep, or in other similar ways prolong the flight. They had been flying for three days, and they thought they would be in the Hararac Desert in 24 hours. After another day and night, they should be in Ilirea, ready to meet whatever they would meet when they arrived.

* * *

It was sunset when they first spotted the Hadarac Desert, and when they actually were above it, it would have been pitch black for his human eyes. With the eyes he had had since Agaetí Blödhren, though, he could see nearly as good as he could in daylight, and he knew it was the same for Saphira.

When the night was over and the sun rose, they were almost out of the desert, and they knew it was only a few hours flight left to Ilirea. Saphira and Fírnen flew with a new intensity. Eragon started to squirm. Arya's face was set in stone, but her grip around the spike in front of her was so hard, the veins on her hand stood out. Tveyra drummed her fingers on the hilt with a superhuman rapidy, and the noise was annoying to Eragon's sensitive ears. Blödhgarm's face was drawn up in a snarl, and all his muscles seemed to be tense, like he was ready to throw himself into a fight even though it was still a couple of hours before they would even see Ilirea on the horizon.

* * *

They landed on the castle roof, and the sight of Ilirea made them all equally angry, because it was a horrible sight.

In the city, several fires raged. House after house was burnt down, and the houses that had escaped the fire, had been subjected to vandalism. The city seemed rather calm now, with few movements except from the fires.

The castle was a different story. It was buzzling with life, and Eragon suspected their arrival wasn't the only reason. He heard screams and angry shouts, replacing laughter and loud revelry. Eragon quickly jumped down from Saphira's back, and the other elves did the same.

_Stay here, _Eragon said to Saphira and Fírnen. _Your wards should shield you from most forms of attacks. _Saphira lowered her head until their eyes were on the same level.

_Be careful, little one. _Eragon put a hand on her nose, and smiled.

_I will. Besides, I will have the eldunarí. _Now, he turned to the air pocket where he knew the eldunarís were, even though he hardly even saw the tiny entrance. _Umaroth-Elda, the spell makes you follow Saphira, isn't that right?_

_Yes, Eragon-finiarel. Right now we follow Bjartskular, but I believe we will come to better use if we follow you. To change the spell into following you, you must…_

When Umaroth was ready with his explanation and Eragon had spoken the spell, Umaroth praised him.

_Very well, Eragon-finiarel. You speak the Ancient Language with great accuracy and precision, when I take into consideration you have spoken this language for mere two years. _Ergon smiled wryly. The ancient dragons were the only ones who could still call him finiarel, and it filled him with both nostalgia and grief. He missed Oromis's help and guidance, and he missed Oromis himself. He had been Eragon's teacher, but also friend.

_One day I hope you can say that without taking into consideration for how long I have spoken the language, _Eragon answered in the Ancient Language, and Umaroth agreed, of course.

"Very well. Let's enter the snakes' nest", Eragon said, and as the elves agreed, he walked to the roof hatch. Of course, it was locked with magic, but it was a spell he could have broken even without the eldunarí's help, and still without any real loss of energy.

* * *

As they walked through the castle, people who saw them usually gasped and turned the other way around. A few attacked them with magic, but nobody stayed long enough to evaluate the result of their attack. Of course none of the attacks harmed them – it was basic magic, covered by their basic wards.

Eragon reached out with his mind. He felt the minds of the magicians, all of them equally scared by his presence, but they didn't matter to him right now. He wasn't searching for them, he was searching for Nasuada.

His mind was searching deep down, under the castle now. He knew he was still in open space – there would have been more living things, like worms and bugs, if he'd been in the ground rather in some sort of tomb or tunnel.

Suddenly he found an… Abnormality. Something felt wrong, but the feeling was so diffuse he barely recognized it, and he doubted a less experienced magician would notice it. He tried to focus on the feeling of weird emptiness this abnormality gave him, when Angela's voice suddenly was heard in his mind.

_Eragon? _she asked with a suspicious voice.

_Angela? What… I can't sense your mind, I just hear your voice. Where are you?_

_Oh, good, it's you. I'm hiding with Nasuada under the castle, and you just discovered our hide-out. I suggest you hurry. Nasuada has been attacked with some sort of curse, and neither my herbs, nor my spells, makes much of a difference. She'd probably be dead by now without my care, but she doesn't have much time left. You can save her of course, with the Name of Names. _Angela's words made him hurry, and he searched with his mind for the best way to get down to them.

_How do you know about the Name of Names? _He asked her, surprised.

_A fool could tell that you knew about it. How else could you have become such a great magician all of a sudden? _Her tone told him it was obvious.

_You're actually the first one to guess it, _Eragon revealed to her with a wry smile.

_That just proves my theory then. Everybody but me, including the elves, are fools._

_It wasn't my question, though. How could you know about the Name's existence?_

_The knowledge about its existence has been in my family for a long time, but we lost the knowledge of the actual word a long time ago. _It was just a little fragment of her past, but it was enough to make Eragon curious.

_Your family? Who… When..? _Eragon didn't have the time to put together any coherent sentences, before Angela spoke again.

_Frankly, you should tell me the word. It would be a proper way to thank me for keeping your queen alive, instead of joining the rebellion and make sure you'd have _a lot _more work to do with cleaning this mess up. She's after me with this system too, you know. _Her discontented grumbling made him smile once again, as he kept searching for the best way down to Nasuada. When he'd found it, and knew exactly how to go and where to turn, he turned his head to the elves, and told them to follow him. There was no time for politeness or respect to the elven queen, just orders. Nasuada could be gone any minute.

Angela was definitely gone, however. Even though he had never felt her presence, she would not have been silent for this long if she'd still been there, for sure.

* * *

When they finally made it to the closed tunnel where Angela and Nasuada hid, Eragon reached out with his mind again. The abnormality was still there, and he reminded himself to ask Angela how she had made it, as soon as he had saved Nasuada.

A few seconds later, the closed tunnel opened up, and Angela's grim face was seen on the other side.

"Get in, and get in fast. Whatever magic she has been attacked with, it's taking her life right now."

Eragon hurried through the opening, and saw Nasuada lie on a bed of straw. He barely recognized her.

Her skin was pale, too pale to be natural. She was shallow, and her cheeks were sunken. She looked like she was in her fifties, rather than in her twenties. He heard even the self-controlled elves gasped when they saw her.

But how bad it ever looked, it shouldn't be anything but simple magic, like the rest of the magic they had come across in their hurry through the castle. Nothing Angela shouldn't be able to heal.

"Why haven't you done more?" Eragon asked her with clenched teeth.

"It's something about the curse. The magic is much stronger than I first thought it was. Perhaps I would have been able to do something about it, but as you see," here she gestured to the bare room, "I don't have my full assortment here. Just what I managed to grab when I heard about the rebellion."

"I see." With no more words, Eragon hurried to Nasuada's side, but he could still hear the others talk quietly.

"Where were you when you heard about the rebellion?" Blödhgarm's growling voice asked her. Eragon had rarely heard him sound so angry; last time was probably in Belatona, when Saphira nearly was killed with Niernen. Eragon wondered why he sounded so outraged, when he realized, this probably reminded Blödhgarm of Islanzadí's death. Only this time, no queen would die. Eragon would make sure of that.

"She was in Du Weldenvarden", Arya answered before Angela had a chance. "But how did you manage to get here so fast?"

"I have my methods." As always, Angela's answer made him curious, but there was no time for curiosity right now. Nasuada was almost dead, but he knew how to heal her, so he reached out for eldunarí. He was certain he could break this curse alone, but it would make him tired and decrepit. It was better to use the huge amount of energy stored in the eldunarí instead.

_Umaroth, may I use your energy to heal Nasuada?_

_Feel free to do so, Eragon-finiarel. That is one of the reasons we followed you here._

_Thank you, Umaroth._

Eragon begun his spell with the Name. With its help, he modified the curse into being completely harmless, and with it out of his way, he spoke the healing spell that would erase the signs of the curse left on Nasuada's face and body.

While he spoke, her skin regained its former, dark, deep glow. Her hollow cheeks were filled out, and the frightening sickness in her appearance disappeared. When he was done healing her, he told her to wake up.

Immediately, she opened her eyes, sat up and looked around the room.

"Wh… What happened?" Her eyes searched the room, recognized Angela, Arya, Blödhgarm, and Eragon. She looked a little harder at Tveyra, whose face was unfamiliar.

"What do you remember?" Eragon aked with a firm voice. Her eyes met his, and she frowned.

"There was a rebellion. I called the magicians here to discuss how to make sure… Well, how to make sure this wouldn't happen, and now it is happening. They came here, but instead of talking, they attacked me. The few magicians still loyal to me had put up wards around me, so most of the curses had no effect, but one had… It weakened me rapidly. I immediately went to my study, but they stormed the castle. Before I was in my study again, I was attacked several times more. When the mirror fell, I… I was attacked again, and I was sure I would die this time. Then he stiffened, and fell to the ground. He was bleeding, and there Angela was with a knife in her hand. I remember how we went through the castle unnoticed, and I have one weak memory of this… Space. But that is all I remember." Now, she turned to Angela. "Thank you, Angela. To be honest, I never really trusted you when you travelled with the Varden, but now you have truly shown where your loyalty is. You will be greatly rewarded for this." Angela snorted, and tossed her head.

"I'm not loyal to you. It would cause me trouble if you died, that's all. The whole human society would be thrown into chaos, and I don't have time to deal with that chaos, or succeeding you as queen." She paused, and as a thought seemed to strike her, she smiled a feline smile. "Then again, you're right. I should be rewarded. But you have nothing I want." Now, she turned to Eragon. "You have, though. You've used it today already, but I can't remember it once I've heard it. Not really fair play." Eragon sighed, and Nasuada turned her sharp look in his direction.

"What is she talking about, Eragon?" she asked him, trying to read the elves facial expressions for answers.

"She wants me to give her The Name of Names, in return for saving you", Eragon declared in a loud voice. It was safe to say; everybody in this room knew of its existence, but only few knew the actual Word.

Nasuada gasped, but among the elves, he actually heard a concurring mumbling. He turned around and gave them a surprised look. Blödhgarm and Tveyra seemed pleased by the idea, and Arya didn't look like she was going to object.

"She said herself she wasn't loyal to me! You can't know for sure she won't use the word to do something devastating." Nasuada's words didn't affect him very much. She was an intelligent woman, but she wasn't much older than him, and she only had the perspective of a human. The elves agreement meant much more to him than her objection, but the most important ones were still to ask.

_Umaroth-elda? Is it a good idea to give Angela the Name? I believe we can trust her, but with something as powerful as the Word? I'm not sure it is a good idea, even if the elves seem to think so._

Umaroth answered him quickly, and his voice carried the strength and security of all the dragons he spoke for, not only himself.

_We know for sure you can trust the woman you know as 'Angela'. Never doubt that. She deserves to be told the Word, not only because she saved your human queen. _His words made Eragon curious, and a flood of questions flowed through his mind before he could stop them.

_"Known as 'Angela'"? What is her actual name? How do you know she can be trusted? Why does she deserve to be told the Word? What has she done that makes her deserve this knowledge?_

_Enough! _Umaroth's roar made Eragon jump on the spot. Nasuada and the elves watched him curiously. Angela sat there with a little smile on her lips, and seemed well aware of what was going on between Eragon and the dragons.

_I'm sorry, Umaroth-elda. My curiosity carried me away. _His tone was remorseful. Umaroth seemed pleased by his apology, and answered in a friendlier tone.

_We can't answer your questions, because we have promised the fortune-teller not to tell anybody anything about her past. But I promise you, you can trust her with the Word._

He repeated the promise in the ancient language, and now Eragon had to believe him. They could trust Angela, "the fortune-teller", with the Name of all Names. The thousands of years old dragon was certain they could, and Eragon, with his 18 years, could never argue with the wisdom of the leader of the dragons.

"Why do you wish to know the Word?" Eragon asked, because he had to know at least that before he gave it to her.

"I have my reasons, and I won't tell you what they are, but I can promise you I won't cause you any trouble with it." Her eyes were like little pieces of steel, and Eragon nodded. He knew she wouldn't tell him more than that.

"Alright then. I will tell you the Name. Eldunarí trust you, and they think you deserve the knowledge." When she heard this words, she turned to the spot where the eldunarí were hidden, and made something between a curtsy and a bow. Eragon had never seen the gesture before, but when the eldunarí saw it through his mind, Umaroth and the dragons even older than him seemed very much pleased. Eragon slowly shook his head, but still began to speak in the Ancient Language.

"Angela, I do not know your true name, but I do know you can be trusted. You may hear the Name of Names, the Word, the name of this language itself. The Name is…" He spoke the Name. Angela's eyes sparkled, and the elves shuddered a little, like someone suddenly had swept a feather along their spine. Angela repeated it to herself, so silent not even Eragon or the elves could hear it, and then she smiled a big smile. She turned to Eragon and repeated the curtsy-bow.

"Now, don't think I only asked for this because I saved your queen. I would have asked you for the word the next time I'd seen you no matter what, and saving Nasuada is something I would do without any reward whatsoever." She turned to Nasuada. "I believe the world needs you in this life a little longer. However", here she turned to Eragon again, "I'd like to thank you for trusting me enough. Ask me any question you want to have answered, and I will answer it if I can." Her smile revealed that she knew this was the greatest gift she could ever give him. An answer to any question about Angela was worth a lot.

After a long time of thinking, he finally decided what question he wanted to ask.

"When we killed the high priest in Dras-Leona, you leaned in and whispered your name to him. I have never in my life seen a human being so scared, and I have seen a lot of fear in the battle field. What is your name, what made him so frightened?" Angela hesitated only for a moment, before she shook her head.

"No. I'm sorry, shur'tugal, but I can't answer that question." Eragon sighed, and decided to give her an easier one.

"Alright then. What about this? You destined me to never come back to Alagaësia, and here I am. How do you explain that?" His words made her smile, a wide, happy smile.

"Oh, haven't you figured that one out yet? It's simple! Did I tell you how many times you would travel far out of Alagaësia and back again, before you would do it one last time, and not come back?" Her eyes sparkled with wit, and Eragon had to smile.

"No. No, you didn't. I just assumed…"

"Well, don't assume! It's much better knowing. Unfortunately I don't know how many times you will travel back and forth, before your time has come, but I believe there will be a few more trips before you are done in this world." Suddenly, she took Nasuada's arm and pulled her up from the floor, with a strength that didn't quite seem to fit in her little body.

"Well then! What do you say, isn't it time for us to clean up this mess, before they have done more harm?"

Eragon, Nasuada, the elves and the eldunarí agreed, and soon they were out of the dark space, ready to face the rebellion.

* * *

**OMG, I'm sorry it took so long time to post this, and I'm even sorrier because this chapter is such a monster. Did anyone have the energy to read this far? Well, then I'm impressed.**

**Then again, I'm writing a fanfiction to C.P's work, you're all used to long description, long dialogues, and long chapter in general.**

**Please, review.**

**Btw, good news. I'm probably not going to have Eragon together with Tveyra, BUT, this will still not be and A & E fanfiction. I have someone else put aside for him, she'll be introduced in a later chapter. You should all guess who she are! You haven't met her yet, but you can still make guesses. Species, title, age..? Anyways…**

**Till next time!**

**Hannoie**


	6. Writer's note

**Okay, sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have this huge writer's block, and I'm not really sure how to proceed with this story. I know where I want it to go, but I'm experiencing big trouble with getting it down on paper. Besides, my life needs a bit of attention too. Sadly, I've got school, and I have friends, and family. We'll see if I'll find inspiration to continue this story. I hope so - I would hate to let you guys down.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**Till next time!**

**Hannoie**


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